As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
rodders999 wrote:There was a story floating around recently that it was Wenger who had advised Dein to go in for Bergkamp and that Rioch knew nothing of the signing until the player arrived.
I know Ty and John Cross believe it, not sure I do
Ty, John Cross and DB10 (the forum user) are believers...... an unholy trinity
How very dare you mention me in the same sentence as those pair of tits!
No it wasn't. I think it was Phillipe Auclair that claimed in one of his books (back in the late 90's or early 2000's) that Dein met Wenger at some European football conference and Wenger advised Dein that Bergkamp was very unhappy in Italy and was very "gettable". Dein phoned Rioch and said "I can get you Bergkamp" and Rioch said "fuck yeah". Dein then signed Bergkamp. Rioch had nothing to do with the signing. Wrighty has confirmed this in a few interviews as well, that Rioch did not sign Bergkamp.
No it wasn't. I think it was Phillipe Auclair that claimed in one of his books (back in the late 90's or early 2000's) that Dein met Wenger at some European football conference and Wenger advised Dein that Bergkamp was very unhappy in Italy and was very "gettable". Dein phoned Rioch and said "I can get you Bergkamp" and Rioch said "fuck yeah". Dein then signed Bergkamp. Rioch had nothing to do with the signing. Wrighty has confirmed this in a few interviews as well, that Rioch did not sign Bergkamp.
You really believe that?
TBH yeah absolutely. Look at the probables there;
Wenger advising and interfering in another club... very likely.
A staid boring old fashioned crunt like Rioch going looking for a huge personality and flair player like Bergkamp (he HATED Wrighty because Wrighty was a flair player and a big personality)... not a hope. The dizzy cúnt once told Wrighty to base his game more on John Fucking McGinley's game ffs!
Wenger and Dein are long term mates... deffo.
Wenger (circa 1995) with his pulse on the European clubs... deffo.
This story has been around since the late 90's... why has Rioch never contradicted it?
Wrighty claims Rioch had nothing to do with Bergkamp's signing... take that maybe with a pinch of salt as they both despise each other, but still no proof Wrighty is lying.
I dont doubt Dein did the deal and anyone at the time could see Bergkamp was unhappy at Inter. Also you spend enough money you can buy anyone and £7.5m was a huge fee at the time..... but to say Wenger had a hand in it is totally unrealistic IMO and typical of the Cross/Auclair fan boys that tell that story in books etc, they'll be telling us he walks on water next
Also, while I am certainly no admirer of Bruce Rioch's brief stint as our manager, there is such a thing as fairness. Bergkamp's signing happened while he was our boss, irrespective of whose suggestion it was. If he had turned out to be a crap signing, the buck would have stopped with the manager, it would not have washed had he said "but It was Wenger who recommended him" or "It was Dein who arranged the deal".
Would Wenger allow another manager to take credit for anyone he had signed in his early days in charge of the club? Has he not been given all the credit for "extending the careers" of the legendary defence which landed on his lap when he arrived?
I am happy for Dennis's seismic signing to be remembered as a Brucie Bonus
Last edited by Bob Bayliss on Tue Mar 14, 2017 12:34 pm, edited 4 times in total.
flash gunner wrote:I dont doubt Dein did the deal and anyone at the time could see Bergkamp was unhappy at Inter. Also you spend enough money you can buy anyone and £7.5m was a huge fee at the time..... but to say Wenger had a hand in it is totally unrealistic IMO and typical of the Cross/Auclair fan boys that tell that story in books etc, they'll be telling us he walks on water next
Agree 100% with you flash - am beginning to agree with you a lot of late, and that is making me very uncomfortable
Bruce had NOTHING to do with Berkamp or Platt signings they were both Dein specials .
Both were sold for more than they were advertised at ,in the case of Berkamp he was circulated at £4.5 million but we managed to pay £7.5 million .
Ive no ideas where the $3.5 Million difference went you may guess ,but it happened more than once in the future too Francis Jeffers and Richard Wright to name but two more of Deins personal signings who we overpaid for !
flash gunner wrote:I dont doubt Dein did the deal and anyone at the time could see Bergkamp was unhappy at Inter. Also you spend enough money you can buy anyone and £7.5m was a huge fee at the time..... but to say Wenger had a hand in it is totally unrealistic IMO and typical of the Cross/Auclair fan boys that tell that story in books etc, they'll be telling us he walks on water next
Agree 100% with you flash - am beginning to agree with you a lot of late, and that is making me very uncomfortable
This story has nothing to do with Cross... and Auclair mooted it long before Wenger needed his mates to continuously back him publicly. I think the Wenger hate on here has gone to the level where people cannot bring themselves to admit he was once a good manager or that he was (probably) partly to thank for our greatest ever signing. Next we'll have people saying Wenger had nothing to do with signing Vieira... Or that it was really GG that put together the 2004 Invincibles defence!
I also fail to understand the Rioch-love on here. The man was a charlatan, a small minded, small-time manager, not only out of his depth at The Arsenal, but a bitter bastard too, that thought Arsenal would be better off without Ian Wright, because he personally disliked Wrighty. An absolute pillock to use the vernacular.
DB10GOONER wrote:This story has nothing to do with Cross... and Auclair mooted it long before Wenger needed his mates to continuously back him publicly. I think the Wenger hate on here has gone to the level where people cannot bring themselves to admit he was once a good manager or that he was (probably) partly to thank for our greatest ever signing. Next we'll have people saying Wenger had nothing to do with signing Vieira... Or that it was really GG that put together the 2004 Invincibles defence!
I also fail to understand the Rioch-love on here. The man was a charlatan, a small minded, small-time manager, not only out of his depth at The Arsenal, but a bitter bastard too, that thought Arsenal would be better off without Ian Wright, because he personally disliked Wrighty. An absolute pillock to use the vernacular.
This isn't a rioch love in at all - I just cannot agree with the theory that any manager would sign a player for a club 16 months before he was appointed manager For me that bizarre suggestion by wenkers french journo buddy, and a man who is a self confessed rioch hater (wrighty), does absolutely nothing for credibility of this story for me
